Salmonella Infection is Expensive

Illnesses caused by Salmonella infection has cost nearly and $365 million in direct medical costs annually in the past 15 years, according to news reports .

According to the CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, E. coli infection costs has been nearly cut in half. The information comes in a new CDC Vital Sign report that summarizes 2010 data from the network.

“Although foodborne infections have decreased by nearly one-fourth in the past 15 years, more than 1 million people in this country become ill from Salmonella each year, and Salmonella accounts for about half of the hospitalizations and deaths among the nine foodborne illnesses CDC tracks through FoodNet,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Salmonella costs hundreds of millions of dollars in direct medical costs each year. Continued investments are essential to detect, investigate, and stop outbreaks promptly in order to protect our food supply.”

Salmonella can affect everything from meat and eggs to produce and processed foods. Salmonella is a potentially fatal foodborne illness that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems.

As a Beaufort personal injury lawyer, I urge consumers to practice safe cooking methods with their meat to ensure any lingering bacteria is killed. This includes cooking ground meat to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken to 165 degrees. Consumers should also be wary of cross contamination when cooking with raw meats. Bacteria can cause food poisoning that could be fatal.

While we don’t handle this type of food recall we feel that it’s important to educate the community that there has been a recall to help protect your safety. If you have been injured in a recall like this you might wish to contact a Beaufort Personal Injury Lawyer who can help.